The 18-year-old student told police she was in the hallway outside her room early Sunday morning when she met two men who walked her back to her room, according to a crime alert sent Tuesday. One of them threatened her with a knife, and then both raped her.

She told authorities she didn’t know the suspects when she reported the incident Monday.

Did it happen at all? Officials have been pulling back on the story, but won’t say why. Earlier this week they said the alleged attacker(s) wasn’t a stranger.

Curiously, they can say they don’t think she was the victim of an armed assault, but can’t say whether her story has changed.

“After continued University of Minnesota Police Department investigation, the previously reported sexual assault in Sanford Hall early Sunday morning is now being considered a student crisis intervention case,” a statement from the U said.

So what is it?

“Our priority right now is on providing the support to this student that she needs,” Pam Wheelock, U of M vice president, said when asked if the original story had changed.

Katie Eichele, director of the Aurora Center, said she can’t comment on this particular case, but cautioned against making quick judgments without all of the information.

“The victim-survivor is the most important person in all of this, and supporting what it is they’re going through and what they may want in the process.”

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts. He was senior editor of news in the ’90s, ran MPR’s political unit, created the MPR News regional website, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started the two most popular blogs in the history of MPR and every day laments that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.

NewsCut is a blog featuring observations about the news. It provides a forum for an online discussion and debate about events that might not typically make the front page. NewsCut posts are not news stories but reflections , observations, and debate.